Moving Pictures: “Ohm” by Yo La Tengo

While side 1, track 1 is listed as “Ohm” on Fade, the 13th studio album by the long-running indie rock act, Yo La Tengo, and again, on the title bar of this just released video, I prefer its alternate title: “Everything You Love About Yo La Tengo in 6 Minutes and 47 Seconds.” I know, it’s a lot to get out of your mouth and it doesn’t have the same zing as “Ohm.” But hear me out, “Everything You Love About Yo La Tengo in 6 Minutes and 47 Seconds,” really does showcase many of the band’s finer traits. There’s the calm, meditative opening and the patient build, a clean melody and sweet, never strained harmonies between Ira Kaplan and Georgia Hubley as the band mix low-key strumming and easy drumming with the subtle bubbling of modern ambient music . Then there’s that moment around the 3:30 mark, one you’ve heard before, but no less welcome, when Kaplan trades his guitar for some J Mascis approved power tools, and it all sounds so effortless and it’s all so gnarly. It isn’t so simple, of course. By the time Kaplan starts his solo, “Ohm,” I mean, “Everything You Love About Yo La Tengo in 6 Minutes and 47 Seconds,” is supporting four, maybe five separate layers of song. And now we have another reason why “Ohm” is “Everything You Love About Yo La Tengo in 6 Minutes and 47 Seconds:” The ace musicianship.

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